Special teams key Blades' 6-2 win

October 27, 2013

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Florida Everblades rode a 3-for-6 night on the power play and a perfect penalty kill to a 6-2 clobbering of the Bakersfield Condors Saturday night to extend their season-opening win streak to four games.

A.J. Jenks got the offensive party started for the Blades on a 4-on-4, grabbing a Mike Little rebound and wiring it past Condors goalie Paul Karpowich for his first goal of the year and a 1-0 Everblades lead 8:01 into the game.

Danick Gauthier followed on the power play for the visitors, finishing a picture-perfect back door pass from Mike Cornell inside the short post 2:56 after Jenks' opening tally to double the edge to 2-0.

Blades netminder Jesse Deckert helped his own cause in the final two minutes of the first, placing a long clearout to neutral ice that sprung Brandon MacLean on a shorthanded breakaway that the assistant captain cashed in for a 3-0 Florida advantage heading into the first intermission.

Matthew Pistilli tacked on the visitors' second power play goal 3:12 into the second, bombing a Little rebound home, padding the lead to 4-0 and chasing Karpowich from the Bakersfield net in favor of backup goalie Tyler Bunz.

Red-hot rookie Kyle Bonis victimized Bunz with 7:18 to go in the middle frame, popping in a Carl Nielsen rebound to make it 5-0 Everblades.

Gauthier put an exclamation point on the six-goal outburst with his second power play goal of the night with 1:37 left in the second.

Louke Oakley and Ryan Garlock each scored for the Condors in the third, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Everblades cruised to victory Saturday.

Deckert added 26 saves to his first-period assist to secure his second win; Karpovich registered just seven saves in defeat.

The Blades (4-0) West Coast swing continues Sunday with a return trip to Ontario for a 6 p.m. EST rematch with the Pacific Division-leading Reign.